Living in Europe is Paradise.
Dear members, this is an article I just read on X. It perfectly depicts Europe and how 99.9% Europeans live and think. You wake up at 6:57 AM and hear your three roommates are already up. The apartment is 41 square meters and the walls are thin. Even though you're 38 years old, you like living with other people. "Imagine being alone in a soulless American suburb," you always tell yourself. You grab your phone and start scrolling Twitter in bed. Someone posts that the EU is considering a ban on US social media platforms over data privacy concerns. You feel a pleasant warmth running through your body as you type a reply: "Good. We should ban them all and use only European apps." You close Twitter and proceed to check Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. You get up and go to the kitchen. Your roommate Lars has already made you a cappuccino. "Is the milk organic?" you ask. He confirms with a gentle nod. You grab a paper cup from the stack by the sink. The four of you switched from ceramic mugs last year. Paper is easier to recycle, and being climate conscious is no longer a personal choice but an EU requirement. The fines for improper waste sorting start at €1,000. Lars is reading news on his iPhone about the EU blocking another big tech merger. "Nice..." you mutter under your breath. This is why Europe leads, democracy still means something here. You drink your coffee standing up. There's no room for a table. You leave for work at 7:45 AM. You live in Lelystad, five towns north of Amsterdam. You moved here two years ago after your landlord raised rent by 50%. It feels far, but European public transport is fantastic - it only takes 40 minutes, plus a 10-minute walk to the station. You see the train arrives in 4 minutes. You feel a swell of pride. "Try doing this in Los Angeles," you whisper to no one. The doors open. You step in. Nowhere to sit, of course, as usual on the 8:03 to Centrum. You grab the pole, place your backpack between your feet. Almost the entire car is filled with immigrant families and their screaming kids. You do quick mental math for fun: each mother seems to have on average seven children. You're quietly happy there are so many of them - these kids are the future generation of Europe, filling the continent with life.